Natural History

This Giant Irish Deer is believed to have roamed the lowlands of central and eastern Ireland, weighing up to 800-1000 lbs. and stood at 2 metres at the shoulder, with antler width of up to 4 metres, (weighing up to 35kg) are the largest antlers know to have existed on any deer. They were palm like antlers, similar to those of a Fallow deer. It is understood they were a victim of the Ice Age finally disappearing from Ireland around 10,500 years ago. They had very few enemies due to their size, with the wolf posing very little threat.

Even though they are known as the Irish Elk, fossils have been found in such countries as France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Britain, Italy and Central Asia. However the best collection of fossil's can be found at the National Museum of Ireland where there are 10 complete deer skeletons and over 250 partial remains, which includes 6 females.

There have been many fossil finds throughout Ireland, with the most famous been Ballybetagh Bog, Glencullen, Co. Dublin where over 100 deer skeletons were found. Other sites are Howth, Co. Dublin and Lough Gur, Co. Limerick. These fossils have been mainly found in peat bogs and in old lakes, with some older fossils even being found in caves.

Learn more about the Irish Elk

Giant elk survived the freeze
The giant elk would dwarf modern man, By BBC News Online's Dr Damian Carrington: The giant Irish Elk survived the last ice age - but probably only just. The enormous deer, which sported antlers 3.6m wide (10 feet), was thought to have perished along with woolly mammoths in the frozen wastes. But new fossil dating evidence shows that..

The Case of the Irish Elk
The Irish Elk, Megaloceros, is misnamed, for it is neither exclusively Irish nor is it an elk. It is a giant extinct deer, the largest deer species ever, that stood up to seven feet at the shoulder (2.1 meters), with antlers spanning up to 12 feet (3.65 meters). The Irish elk evolved during the glacial periods of the last...

Megaloceras fossils
Megaloceras: 1/20 scale, one piece cast with the exception of the antlers. Included is a simulated terrain base with clearly marked footprints for easy positioning as well as a contoured pine base for display. The model comes unpainted easy to assemble with a minimum amount of...